MBY editor Hugo Andreae puts the Ecoflow Delta Max portable power station to the test on his Karnic 2250...
The trend for portable power stations replacing petrol powered generators on small to medium-sized boats is gathering pace.
Every week I seem to get sent another press release shouting about a new make or improved model entering the market.
Ecoflow is one of the better-established brands with a proper UK distributor to provide back-up in the event of any issue.
Given that this top-of-the-range Ecoflow Delta Max model costs from £1,999 for the battery pack alone and another £549 for the optional 220W solar panels, that’s a fairly chunky investment.
But what that buys is one of the most powerful portable power packs around, boasting a 2kWh capacity and peak power of up to 3kW. That’s enough to run most household devices.
I tried it on our usual kitchen kettle and it had no problem bringing it to the boil in a couple of minutes, even if it did use up almost 10% of the battery capacity.
It has multiple 240V three-pin sockets as well as four USB plugs. The only downside is that it’s a very substantial piece of kit.
Optional solar panels take up a fair bit of space on board
Weighing 22kg, the Ecoflow Delta Max takes a fair bit of lifting on your own. It also feels rather vulnerable to splashes, knocks and scrapes so the optional protective bag might be sensible.
The solar panels are a nice addition (given the price of mains electricity) but on a boat they gobble up a lot of space and they take a long time to deliver a full charge so I’d be inclined to leave them at home.
In fact, given the risk of power outages this winter, I’d take the whole thing home and keep it on standby just in case.
Starting price: £1,999
MBY rating: 4/5
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